10 Everyday Uses for Ginger Essential Oil

Ginger is one of my favourite oils and I also use the actual ginger root every day in cooking and in my tea. I love the lemony taste and the little bit of “zing” it adds to things.

Remember, as a kid, when you were feeling ill, your Mom would give you ginger ale to tame your tummy woes? Well there is a reason for that. Ginger is a wonderful choice for its digestive properties. And that is not all – it also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties as well. The choice to use ginger daily is (in my view) a wise decision.

*Caution: All essential oils are not created equal. Not all essential oils can be ingested. Make sure that the oils you are using are certified pure therapeutic grade and the label indicates that it/they are safe to take internally.

Using Ginger Essential Oil in your Everyday Life

The dreaded l-o-n-g road trip: Before a long car trip, add a drop of ginger oil to your water to boost your metabolism and keep any nausea at bay if you usually succumb to motion sickness. This would be a good plan to use before a boat ride as well, for the same reasons.

Mommy-to-be: A drop or 2 of ginger oil in a cup of tea will go a long way to alleviate the dreaded morning sickness of expectant mothers.

Dizziness or depression: The stimulating properties of ginger oil help to relieve depression, mental stress, anxiety, exhaustion and dizziness. Diffuse ginger oil, add to your beverage or mix ginger oil with some fractionated coconut oil* in a glass rollerball bottle to carry in your purse. Roll on when the need arises. (* I like to use the fractionated coconut oil because it absorbs very quickly and is not greasy.)

Anti-inflammatory properties: Ginger essential oil is a wonderful choice to relieve those achy joints. Dilute with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil, or other natural, organic oil such as sweet almond oil or olive oil to spread easily, but also because ginger is a “hot” oil and your skin may be sensitive to it if you apply it directly. Avoid those over the counter pain meds to relieve the pain of arthritis and instead, massage diluted ginger oil into those joints.

Antiseptic properties: In a glass sprayer bottle, add 30 drops each of ginger, lemon and melaleuca (tea tree) essential oils. Add some water and white vinegar and you have an all-natural household cleaner for countertops, doorknobs and other surfaces.

For a quick pick-me-up: If you ever feel a lull in your energy around that 2 pm mark in the day, add 2 drops of ginger essential oil to your palms and rub together. Then cup your hands over your nose and inhale deeply for a minute or two. This will re-energize and revitalize you quickly.

Car diffuser: Add a couple of drops of ginger oil to a cotton ball and hang near a vent in your car to act as a homemade diffuser while you drive. Your car will smell fresh and it will help to avoid any motion sickness during the trip.

All stuffed up? Add 2 to 3 drops of ginger essential oil to a bowl of hot (never boiling) water. Drape your head with a towel and use it like a tent as you hang your head over the bowl and inhale deeply for several minutes. This will help you to relieve sinusitis, a sore throat and/or a runny nose. Ginger can also act as a decongestant.

Uncomfortable stomach issues: Dilute a couple of drops of ginger essential oil with a carrier oil and massage onto your belly to relieve gas and even diarrhea.

Better use of food nutrients: Ginger oil will help you absorb the nutrients in your food. A nice taste sensation and a healthy benefit as well.

Ginger can freshen your breath: Swish your mouth with water and a drop or two of ginger oil following a meal containing garlic, or just to rid yourself of “coffee breath”.

Ginger and Other Essential Oils Working Together

Ginger essential oil blends nicely with many other oils, so try out different “recipes” to add to your diffuser.